Machine for making tubing.



E. T. GREENFIBLD. MACHINE POR MAKING TUBING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1905.

WITNESSES: Q9 neuf( me n .Ris amm co4, wAsnmcroN, n. r..

PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR if. j,

"PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906. E. T.'GREENFIBLD.

MACHINE. FOR MAKING TUBING.

APPLIoA'rIoN FILED Nov. 1s. 1905.

4 SHEETS-S 2.

WITNESSES: @j 9h 5 M15 nu: mams ruses co., wAsnmcrou, u` c ATTORNEY No. 838,179. PATENTED DEC. 1l, 1906. E. T. GREENI'IBLD. MACHINE POR MAKING TUBING APPLIOATION 'FILED Nov. 1s

Y 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR faam No. 838,179. PATBNTED DBC. 11, 1906.

' E. T. GREENFIELD.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBING.

APrLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 1s, 1905.

4' SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNEssEs: SQ N 'N INVENTOR ATTORNEY EDWIN T.- GREENFIELD, OF KIAMESHA, NEW YORK.

MACHINE Fon MAKING TUBING.

Specicatiqn of Letters Patent.

Iatented Dec. 11,l 19,06.

Applicant filed November 16, 1905. serial No. 287.695.

To'wZZ whom, it 17m/y concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. GREENFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kiamesha, in the county of Sullivan and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Tubing, of which the following is a specification. l

The object of this invention is to effect certain improvements in machines for making tubing by bending long flexible strips of sheet metal'spirally, such tubing bein adapted for use in the transmission of a uid, as water or steam, and as a housing for electric conductors which may be run loosely therein or on the-exterior of which the tubing may be formed as armor.

` More particularly the invention relates to machines of the type shown in Patent No. 630,502, granted to me August 8, 1899.

My present invention involves so constructing a machine of this type that it may be used for making various sizes of such spirallyformed tubing and making it from strips of various widths. It also involves the rovision of improved devices for taking up t e tubing as it 1s formed by the 1bending mechanism of the machine.4 It further involves other novel features, all of which will be definitely indicated in the claims appended hereto.

The ,preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the tubing employed as cable-armor. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the machine with arts in i section; Fig. 4 is a plan view, and ig. 5 a

section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, of the bending and feeding mechanism on a larger scale.

, Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the lower half of the bending-die. Fig. 7is a view showing the earing for driving one of the reel-carrying i'grames. Fig. 8 is a central section through the frame of the take-up reel, the reel being removed therefrom, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 8 8 of Fig. 1 of the frame carrying the reel on which the armored cable or the tube is wound, and Fig. 9 is a sectional de-tail on line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

. Referring to the drawings, A indicates a table mounted on a bed-plate A', and in the sides thereof are bearings for a shaft B, carrying a bevel-gear b and a spur-gear b', to which latter power is' communicated in any suitable manner. At the center of the top of the table A can is an opening, and concentric therewith are four slots c, Fig. 4. A supporting-plate C f rests upon the upper surface of the table, x and a cylindrical stem C', depending from the 6o under side thereof, extends through the open- Y ing in the top of the table. Bolts c" extend through ope s at the corners of the late C and through t e curved slots in the tab e A, and the ends of these bolts are threaded to receive nuts which may be tightened-u tohold f plate C securely in any position o adjustlarly-adjustable plate supports the rollersbyxf which the strips 'of sheet metal are y curved 7 transversely and fed forward toI the bendingrollers in all positions of adjustment of late.. C without removing or cha g any o theft. gears or other arts. Stemnuforms a bear- 7 5 mg for a doub e bevel-gear. D, Figs. 3- and 5,

having teeth meshing with those'of gear' bon 'A power-shaft B, and also teethmeshing with those of a gear D', carried by .af-shaft d, mounted in suitable 'bearings insupports Wd', l secured on plate C. Also mounted inl`bear`- i ings yin the sup orts dd are -two pairsof ed one directly above the other and having at one end intermeshing gears-e". The lower gear e of each of these pairs meshes with a gear d2, carried by shaft d on the end o posite that on which the bevelear is mounted. Extending horizontal y between the supports d and between the shafts e of each palr is a trough or chute E, sup orted on bars e2, secured to the supports (11') and' arranged to 4be vertically adjustable by screws e3, ig. 5. Extending through trou h E are two grooves or guides, and on eac of the shafts e is a die-roller E', the rollers on each air of shafts entering openings in the trough E to one of the des or grooves therein. The peripheries o rollers E" are so shaped that strips of sheet' metal passing through the grooves 1n trou h E and between the pairs of die-rollers are given the transverse curvature necessary for making the particular style of. tubing desired. For making the tubing shown in 2 the periphery of the upper roller ente the right-hand groove is convex and thaltudf the lower one concave, and of the left-hand pair the upper one has a concave and the lower a convex periphery. The periphery of the 'convex roller of each pair may, if desired, be provided with teeth, as shown in Fig. 5,

ment about the of stem C. .This angu-v 'f die, and means are provided for these shafts e, the sha s of each pair being mount- .y

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which form indentations in the concave side of the strip, since such indentations facilitate the bending of the strip. It will be observed that the axis of stem C', about which the late C, carryng the trough E and die-rollers is angularly adjustable, is coincident with the axis of the gear D, which drives the dierollers, so that adjusting-plate C, for a purpose hereinafter more fully explained, does not in any way disturb the relation of the gears D and D.

The forming or bending die F, into which the strips pass from the grooves in trough E and by which they are bent spirally into tubular form, is preferably constructed as shown inmy patent above mentioned. The lowerhalf of this die is shown in Fig. 6. The upper half is of similar construction and is rovided with dowel-holes to receive the dowe -pins on the lower half. (Shown in Fig. 6.) When the two halves are put together, the form a die having an opening therethroug which die comprises two sectlons each consisting of an upper and a lower half. The wall of the opening in the left-hand section of the die has a spirally-formed groove therein dpresenting a convex face and the right-han section has a groove presenting a concave face. The Vlower half of `each dle-section is slotted at its upper edge, so that when the parts of the die are assembled two openings willbe provided, each leading to and alining with one of the grooves in the wall of the olpening in the die. Of course the shape of t ese grooves may be-changed to make tubing from strips of different cross-section, and the number of sections of the die may be changed with the number of strips from which the tubing is formed. Die F is secured in a support F', which is arranged to slide toward and away from the end of trou h E upon a block F2, the upper face of Whic is provided with a dovetail groove into which a corresponding tongue j on support F extends. he lower face of block 2 1s rovided with a similar dovetail groove at rig t angles to that on the upper face to receive a to e f on table A. The position of die F is t us adjustable in any direction in a horizontal plane, and any sultable means, as screwsf2 and gibs f3, may be provided for locking-support F and block F2 in any adjusted osition.

On either sideof the mechanism above de' scribed is a rotatable frame, that on the left being indicated by the letter G and that on the r' t by the letter H, in' which frames reels E and H', respectively, are mounted for rotation. When the machine is used for' armoring cables or the like, the unarmored cable is unwound from reel G and after being armored is wound upon reel H. When the machineis used for making hollow tubing, the frame G and reel G may be dispensed with, ard as such tubing is made it may be wound upon reel H. In additionto rotating the reels on their axes to unwind and wind the tubing or cable the reels are turned transverse to their axes, as the sheet-metal strips are bent spirally thereon by rotating frames G and H. On the base A on op osite sides of table 4A are standards g g and [Ik in which are bearings for the frames G and H, respectively. On the ends of each of these frames are short hollow shafts g g and h h in axial alinement and extending through the bearings in the standards g g and 71, 7L. On the adjacent ends of the hollow shafts g and h nearest the die F are gears g2 and h2, by which rotary motion is communicated to frames G and H from the powerdriven shaft B, the ends of which extend through the bearings in the sides of table A and carry pinions 2 b2. The arrangement of the gearing between each of the pinions b2 b2 and the corresponding gear g2 and h2 is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Pivotally lnounted on the hollow shaft 7L between gear h2 and the bearing in standard 7L is an arm I, carrying at its free end a shaft i, one end of which forms a bearing for a gear 1l', adapted to mesh with pinion b2 on power-shaft B, and the other end of which extends through a curved slot in standard h, concentric with the hollow shaft h. This end of shaft i is threaded to receive a nut i2, which maybe tightened up against the standard 7L, to hold arm I in any adjusted position angularly about the shaft h. Mounted on arm I is a short shaft forming a bearing for a pinion i, which meshes with gears h2 and i. This arrangement of gearing is employed in driving both frames G and H, Fig. 3, and it will thus be seen that by loosening nuts i2 and turning arms/I on their pivots the pinions b2 may be removed from shaft B and pinions of different size substituted therefor, whereu on arms I may be again swung around on t ieir pivots and locked in the position in which gears i mesh with the new pinions b2. The construction thus permits of quickly and readily changing the rate of rotation of frames G and H relatively to therate of rotation of the dierollers E. This is necessary when changes are made in the size of tubing to be made, as

when such changes are made greater or less lengths of the sheet-metal strips are required for each convolution of the tu ing.

The-frame G has bearings formed in the sides thereof for the reel G, which carries the cable to be armored. The cable is unwound from the reel and passes through the hollow shaft g and the forming-die F, where the tubing is spirally formed thereon. die the armored cable passes through the hollow shaft h and is wound upon the reel H.

From the Means are provided for rotating this reel on its axis at a delicately-adjustable speed to take up the armored cable, such adjustment being of importance on account of differences in the diameter of tubing made onthe machine and the increasing circumference of the roll as the cable is wound thereon. The mechanism for effecting this rotation of reel H is best shown inFigs. 8 and 9. In the sides vof frame H are bearings for trunnions J, in each of which is an opening of square havin an extension i2 at one side and at the other aving pivoted thereto four actuatingpawls ja, which are pressed by suitab e springs, as at j, u on the teeth of ratchet j. 'lhe pawls ja on eac plate y" are so positioned that when the first one is at the bottom of a tooth of the ratchet the succeeding ones are ingC-pawls 7c, similarly pressed by springs, as

at roUressively-increased distances up the inc me sides of other teeth. Pivoted to each of the sides of frame H are four retainupon the peri hery of a ratchet j. The four pawls lc on eac i side of the frame are also staggered with relation to the teeth of the ratchet on which they bear, so that one of them is always in osition to prevent backward rotation of tlie reel H. Each of the pawl-plates j is turned back and forth on its trunnion J by a rod m, extending through an o ening in the extension j? of the plate and a so through openings in a member m. Nuts are provided on the ends of rod m to prevent it from moving out of those openings, and between extension jg and member m a spring 'm2 is coiled upon rod m. Secured to the member m is a rod n, movable in suitable guides n on the side of frame H, a spring ln,2 being coiled about the rod between one of the arms of member m and one of the guides n to press rod fn. in a direction to cause a roller o on the end thereof to Vengage acam o, shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. This cam is supported on the end of an interiorlythreaded sleeve p, mounted for longitudinal movement in a cylindrical openin in a (plug p', which is secured to the standar h an extends into the end of the hollow shaft h. Turning of sleeve p is prevented by wings p2, secured to the sleeve and extending into 1ongitudinal grooves in the plug p. A shaft s extends through plug p', and its inner threaded end enters the threaded bore in sleeve p. Shaft s is ositioned by a collar s2 thereon and a hand-w eel s', which is secured to its outer end. Thus by turning wheel s the sleeve p and cam o are moved in or out to vary the ortion of each half-revolution of the frame 1n which the roller o is in contact with the cam o', and thusvary the distance through which rods lml and n are reci rocated. As

the reciprocation of these ro s governs the angular movement of the pawl-plates j on trunnions J, the latter canl by the adjustment of hand-wheel s 4be made such that one, two, three, or all four of the staggered pawls 7'3 on each side of reel. H fall over teeth of a ratchet j each time to vary the extent of rotational movement of reel H in each half-revolution of frame H.

In operatin the machine to armor electric cable a reel of unarmored cable is mounted upon the frame G and its end threaded through the hollow shaft g and the bendingdie F. The ends of two long liexible strips of sheet metal (preferably steel) are inserted in the grooves in trough E and between the pairs of die-rollers E. The die-rollers are rotated by power applied to gear b on shaft B by means of gears b, D, and D', shaft d, gear d, and gears e on the shafts e, carrying the die-rollers. The die-rollers on the left of Fig. 1 bend the strip passing between them to give it a transverse curvature suchthat the convolutions of the tubing formed therewith present a concave outer surface, as shown in Fig. 2, and they indent the concave face of the strip so that it may be formed spirally more readily; lalso, the rollers force t e strip forward through the opening in the forming-die F and against the bending-surface thereof. The pair of die-rollers on thc right in Fig. 1 act similarly on the other strip except that they curve the-strip transversely in the opposite direction. As the strips are forced into the die by the rollers E the spirally-formed convex and concave surfaces on the forming-die bend the two strips spirally closely around the cable and one over the other and breaking joints therewith, as shown in Fi 2. As the vdie-rollers E are actuated by s aft B the frames G and H A carrying the reels G and H', respectively, are rotated to turn the strand of cable extending between them on its axis, and the rate at which it is turned is the same as the rate of for the convolutions of the tubing. The rotation of the reel-carr frames 1s effected by means of the inions b2 on shaft B, gears i', pinions 3, andp gears g2 and h2 on the shafts and h of frames G and H, respectively. e armored cable is wound upon the reel H', which is automatically rotated on its axis as the frame H, which carries it, is rotated on its shafts h h. This is eected by the circular cam-surface o, having two raised portions thereon over which the rollers o move as the frame H is rotated. Cam o, though movable toward and away from the rod J of reel H by turning handwheel s', is held against rotation as frame H rotates by the wings p2, extending into the slotsin the stationarily-mounted plug p and therefore as frame H rotates cam o causes areciprocation of rods n and m in guides n',

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and thus turns pawl-plates j" back and forth on trunnions J. ,One or more of the pawls js drop over the teeth of ratchet j when the plates j are moved by cam o', and when the plates are moved in the opposite direction by sprin s n2 after rollers o have passed over the 'ghest points on the cam-'surface the pawls thereon turn reel H a deiinite portion of a revolution, and in the position to which it is moved the reel is held-by the retaining-pawls 7c. The backward movement of plates j by springs 11,2 is limited by the engagement of one of the arms of member m and one of the guides n so that when cam o has been moved by wheel s to the retracted position the rollers o bear on cam o for only very small portions of a revolution, and therefore themovement of rods m and fn, and plates j each half-revolution of frame H is very small, so small that only one of the four staggered pawls on each side of reel H drops over a tooth of the ratchet By turning wheel s the cam o is advanced from this position to cause any `desired number of the four pawls to drop over teeth of the ratchets. In this way the speed of rotation of reel H can be adjusted while the mach' e is in operation and frame H rotating, suc adjustment being necessary to take up the armored cable properly on account of the increasingldiam-a eter of the reel as the cable is Wound t ereon.

It is frequently necessary to change the angular arrangement of the trough E and the die-rollers E relative to the die F-as, for instance, when tubing of a different diameter is to be made, when a different width of metallic strip is to be used, or a different character of tubing is desired. In a machine constructed in accordance with my invention this can be quickly done without any change in the gearing. The trough E, die-rollers E', and driving-gearing for the latter are all carried on a supporting-plate C, which is adjustable about an axis coincident with the axis of the gear D by which the rollers E are driven, so that to change the angular relation of trough E with respect to die F it is only necessary to loosen the nuts on bolts c', turn plate C about the axis of stem C to the desired osition, bolts c moving in the slots c in tab e A, and then tighten the nuts up again to hold the plate in its new position. In doing this the gear D rolls around on the gear D, but the driving relation of ear D to gear D', and hence to the die-rollers i', is in no way disturbed. The die F may then be properly positioned with respect to the end of trough E by loosening screws f2 and moving support F on block F2 and block F2 on table A and again tightening the screws when the die is in the proper position. Also the trough E may be adjusted vertically by means of the screws e3.

When tubing of a different diameter is to be made with strips of the same width, the rate of rotation of the reel-carrying frames G and H relative to that of the die-rollers E must be changed, since a greater length of strip is required for each convolution of the tubing. Such changes can readily be made by loosening nuts i2, sw'nging arms I on' their pivots to carry gears 'i' away from pinions 2, shafts 'i moving in the curved slots in the standards, removing pinions b2 from shaft B and replacing them with pinions of a different size, then swinging arms I back on their pivots to bring gears 'i' properly into mesh with the new pinions b2, and locking the arms in this position by tightening up nuts i2.

It will be understood that the adjustable die-rollers, the driving mechanism arranged to drive the die-rollers in any position oftheir adjustment without any change in the gearing, and the improved means for rotating the reel upon which the completed tubing is wound may be used with spirally-forming means of diHerent character from that shown.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination of a movable die adjustable about an axis, means for bending a striip after it has been acted upon by said die, an driving mechanism for actuating said die arranged to permit adjustment of the die without affecting the driving relation of said mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination' of a movable die, a

support therefor adjustable about an axis, means for bending a strip spirally after it has been acted upon by said die, a power-driven shaft, and gearing connecting said shaft in driving relation to said die and arranged to permit adjustment of the die without affecting the driving relation of said gearing, substantially as described. 4 3. The combination of a support adjust'- able about an axis, means for locking the support in any adjusted position, rotatable die-rollers mounted on the support, means for bending a strip spirally after it has been acted upon by said die-rollers, and gearing for driving said die-rollers arranged to ermit adjustment of said support without a ecting the driving relation of said gearing, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a support adjustable about an axis, a pair of rotatable dierollers carried thereby, means for bending a strip spirally after it has been acted upon by said die-rollers, a rotatable frame, a reel mounted for rotation therein, a power-shaft, and means for connectin s aid shaft in driving relation to said die-ro lers and said frame permitting adjustment of the support carrying the die-rollers without affecting the driving relation of said gearing, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a support adjustable about an axis, a movable die mounted thereon, a member mounted for rotation on IOO IIO

said axis, driving mechanism therefor, means connecting said member in driving relation to said die, and means for bend' n a stripafter it has been acted upon by saidnlie, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a support adjustable about an axis, a plurality of die-rollers mounted for rotation in bearings thereon, a-

gear mounted for rotation on said axis, driving 4mechanism therefor, gearing meshing with said gear and connecting it in relation to said die-rollers, and means for bending a strip s irally after it has been acted upon by a le-roller, vsubstantially as r 5 described.

7. The combination of a sup ort, a trough ha an o ening extending ongitudinally theret ong mounted upon the support, means for adjusting the position of the trough on the support, means for effecting a transverse curvature of a strip in passin through the opening in said trough, an means located in proximity to the end of the trough for bending a strip spirally, substantially as described.

p- 8. The combination ofv a support able about an axis, a trough ing extending longitudinally therethrough mounted upon the support, means for adjusting the position of the trough on the support, a air of die-rollers mounted for rotation in earings on the support and extending through slots in the sides of said trough to the ope therethrough, mechanism for driving said die-rollers permitting adjustment of said support Without aiiecting the adjusthaving an opendriving relation of said mechanism, and

means located in proximity to the end of said trough for bending a strip sprally, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a die for effecting a transverse curvature of a strip, a bendingdie for bending the strip spirally after it has been acted upon by said die, a su port upon which said ben -die is adjusta ly mounted, and means 'for ocking the bending-die in any position of adjustment, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a support, a trou gh thereon having a longitudinal opening therethrough, means for effecting a transverse curvature of a strip While passing through said opening, a bending-die in proximity to the end of said trough, a support for the bending-die, means permitting adjustment of the bendin -die on its support in one direction and in a 'rection at right angles thereto, and means for locki the bending-die in any adjusted position, siistantially as described.

11. The combination of a support adjustable about an axis, means for locking the support in any adjusted position, rollers mounted for rotation in bearings on said support,

mechanism for driving said rollers permitting adjustment of said support Without affecting the relation of,saidjt'rnechl anism, a bendingie for bending aL-stri spirally after it has been actedluponby's'ai rollers, means for support' said bendingdie permitting adjustment t ereof With respect to said rollers, and means for locking said bending-die in any adjusted position, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a sup ort adjustable about an axis, a pair of die-ro 1ers mounted for rotation in bearings on said support for eliecting a transverse curvature of a strip, a member mounted for rotation on the axis of adjustment of said support, dri mechanism therefor, means connecting sai member in driving relation to said ie-rollers, a bending-die for bending a strip s irally after it has been 4acted upon by sai die-rollers, means for supporting said bending-die permittin ad'ustment thereof With respect to said die-rollers, and means for locking the bending-die in any position of adjustment, substantially as described.

13. The combination of mechanism for bending a stri spirally, a movable member acting upon tile strip before it is bent s irally, a power-shaft, means connecting t e oWer-shaft in driving relation to.said member, a rotatable frame, a reel to receive the spirally-formed strip mounted for rotation in said frame, gearing connecting the powershaft in driving relation to said frame, and means' to facilitate changing the ratio of the rates at which the power-shaft actuates said member and said rotatable frame, substanroo tially as described.

14. The combination of a pair of rollers between which a strip passes, a power-shaft, means connecting the shaft in driving relation to said rollers, means for bending the strip spirally after it has been acted u onv by said rollers, a rotatable frame, a ree to receive the spirally-formed strip mounted for rotation in said frame, and means connectin the power-shaft in driving relation tosai 11o rotatable frame comprising gears on the power-shaft and the shaft of the frame, an arm pivoted on one of said shafts, a gear carried by said arm and serving to connect said gears, and means to lock said pivoted arm in any adjusted position, substantially as described.`

15. The combination with means for formin spiral tubing, of a rotatable frame on one si e thereof, a freely-rotatable supply-reel 12o journaled therein, a rotatable frame mounted on the other side of said means, a takeup reel mounted for rotation in said lastnamed frame, means for rotating said takeup reel, and means for adjusting the speed of x2 5 rotation of said take-up reel inde endently of that of its frame, substantia ly as described. v

16. The combination of means for bending a strip spirally into a tube, means for feeding 13o I tating said last-named reel b a strip to said bending ame on one side of said bending means, a freely-rotatable supply-reel journaled therein, a rotatable frame on the o posite side of said means, a reel upon which the spirallyformed tubeis Wound mounted for rotation on said last-named frame, and means for roa step-by-step movement, substantially as escribed.

17. The combination Withmeans for forming spiral tubing, of a freely-rotatable frame on one side of said means, a supply-reel journaled therein, a rotatable frame on the opposite side of said means, a take-up reel for said tubing journaled in the last named frame, means for rotating the last-named reel by a step-by-step movement, and means for adjusting the speed of rotation of said lastnamed reel, substantially as described.

18. -The combination with means for forming spiral tub' of a rotatable frame, a takeup reel mounte for rotation thereon, a paWland-ratchet mechanism actuated by the rotation of said frame for rotating said reel, and means for adjusting said mechanism to adjust the speed of rotation of said reel, substantially as describe 19. The combination with means for formmeans, a rotatable ing spiral tubing, of a rotatable take-up reel for said tubing, a ratchet-Wheel secured to said reel, a pawl-plate, a plurality of pawls carried thereby and staggered relatively to the teeth of the ratchet, s rings pressin the paWls in engagement Wit the teeth 0 the ratchet, means for reciprocatin said paWlplate, and means for adjusting t e limits between which the paWl-plate is reciprocated, substantially as described.

20. The combination with means for forming spiral tubing, of a rotatable frame, a takeup reel for said tubing mounted for rotation on said frame, driving mechanism for rotating said frame, and means for rotating said reel comprising a paWl and a ratchet, one mounted on the reel and the other on the frame, and a cam and coperating member for actuating the pawl and ratchet, one carried by the rotatable frame and the other mounted stationarily, substantially as described.

This speciiication signed and witnessed this 14th day of November, 1905.

EDWIN T. GREENFIELD. Witnesses:

S. O. EDMoNDs, D. S. EDMoNDs. 

